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130 Now Sickened by Salmonella-Tainted Honey Smacks Cereal

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- One hundred thirty people across 36 states have now fallen ill with salmonella after eating Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.

For the time being, the "CDC advises consumers and retailers not to eat, serve or sell any Kellogg's Honey Smacks cereal," the agency said in a statement.

Many of the illnesses linked to the Salmonella Mbandaka strain have been severe -- so far, 34 people have been hospitalized, although no deaths have been reported.

"Laboratory testing identified the outbreak strain of salmonella in unopened and opened boxes of Honey Smacks cereal collected from retail locations and from ill people's homes," the CDC said.

The illnesses first surfaced in early March and have continued, with the last illnesses reported on Aug. 7. On June 14, Kellogg Co. announced it was recalling certain boxes of Honey Smacks cereal due to the possibility of contamination with salmonella.

But the CDC said Tuesday that the cereal is still being sold in some locations, despite the recall this summer.

The cereal under recall includes Honey Smacks 15.3 oz. size with the UPC code of 3800039103 (on the bottom of the package) and a "Best If Used Before" date of JUN 14, 2018, through JUN 14, 2019 (at the top of the package).

Also included are Honey Smacks in the 23 oz. size with the same "Best Before" date and the UPC code of 3800014810.

No other Kellogg products are affected by the recall, and people who find they have purchased one of the recalled products should "discard it and contact the company for a full refund," the company said. The cereal has a shelf life of about a year if left unopened.

More details can be found at Kellogg's website. People can also reach out to their state's health department.

Salmonella can trigger serious illness, and can even be fatal for children, frail or elderly people, and people with weakened immune systems. Illnesses typically last four to seven days, with symptoms including fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

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